ABSTRACT
The American exhibition in Moscow clearly shows the nature of the abstractionists’ current tactics. Their aim is to prove that abstractionism supposedly has the same right to exist as realism, thus producing a “diversity” of art and allowing everyone to choose according to their own taste. The secret fear that the bluff of abstract art is about to be called, and its attempts to undermine the growing influence of Socialist Realism and prevent the successful development of progressive realistic art in the West, are reasons why abstract artists are searching for new ways of manipulating public opinion. Etienne Gilson has been unable to explain why the great realist artists managed in their paintings to combine the authenticity of the imagery, the vitality of images and figurative perfection. Gilson is prepared even to consider realistic pictures as “fine art” and admits their usefulness.
